Palace gets flak for full-page ad spreads on ‘achievements’

Former government officials hit Malacañang for placing on Monday in national dailies and tabloids full-page ads crowing about the “achievements" of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo since 2001. Benjamin Diokno, former President Joseph Estrada's budget secretary, questioned the possible huge expenses placing those ads entailed. For his part, Ed Malay, former President Fidel Ramos' spokesperson, said that unlike the current administration, no military uprising or killing of journalists marred the Ramos administration. But in defending the ad placements, Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Palace saw that it was important to tell the people what the government is doing for them. He added that Malacañang did not expect all Filipinos to believe what were written in the paid announcements. "Maaaring di maniniwala ang iba maaring batikusin pa, pero what is important is magkaroon tayo ng information drive on what is happening. Malalaman ng mamamayan ano ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan para sa kanilang kapakanan," Bello said in an interview on radio dzXL. (We do not expect everyone to believe the ads. We even expect some criticisms for it. But the important thing is for us to inform the people about what the government is doing for them.) "The paid ads were meant to tell the people the truth. Of course, we do not expect everyone to agree," he added. Expensive ads The ads, placed on several Metro Manila tabloids and broadsheets, claimed improvements in the economy, infrastructure, social development, jobs, agriculture, energy and environment, peace and order, and digital infrastructure. Diokno, however, wondered how much Malacañang must have spent for the ads. "Mahal ang magpalagay nito sa mga dyaryo (Newspaper spaces are expensive)," Diokno said in an interview on dzXL radio. He also questioned whether the P9 trillion (more or less) the Arroyo administration has spent since 2001 has really benefited Filipinos. "Ito lang ba ang mapapakita niya? ... Di lang numero tinitingnan mo. Ang tanong, bumuti ba buhay ng mga Pilipino? (Is this all it can show? Besides, you should look beyond the numbers. Have lives of Filipinos really improved)?" he said. Military uprising, killing of journalists In raising doubts about the supposed achievements of the Arroyo administration, Malay compared the present administration that of his boss, Ramos. "Wala tayong umaalsang sundalo, walang newsman na napapatay (We had no soldiers rebelling, we had no newsmen being killed)," Malay said in a separate interview on dzXL radio. Thrice, Mrs. Arroyo's administration was threatened by a military uprising: the 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the 2006 February coup attempt and the November 2007 standoff at the Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City. Government critics have also scored the Arroyo administration in terms of protection for working journalists, noting that since she assumed the presidency in 2001, a total of 64 media workers had been killed. The figure excludes the massacre of 31 journalists in Maguindanao, believed to have been perpetrated by the Ampatuan clan, whose members are known political allies of Mrs. Arroyo. - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV